• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.44-54
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• 2023

Purpose: Uncertainty and restrictions on daily life have increased fear, stress, and depression during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Depression is the most common mental health problem in pregnant women. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of fear and stress related to COVID-19 experienced by pregnant women, as well as their levels of depression, and to examine the factors associated with depression during pregnancy. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, correlational study conducted among 153 pregnant women who visited a maternity hospital in Busan, South Korea. A self-reported questionnaire was used for data collection from December 18, 2021 to March 8, 2022. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. Results: Pregnant women experienced a moderate level of fear related to COVID-19, with an average score of 21.55±4.90. The average score for depression during pregnancy was 14.86±11.10, with 50.3% of the participants experiencing depression (≥13). The factors associated with depression during pregnancy were fear of COVID-19, contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, being in the third trimester of pregnancy, high stress levels due to difficulties experienced from social distancing measures, and unintended pregnancy. These five statistically significant factors explained 35.0% of variance in depression during pregnancy. Conclusion: Considering the prevalence of depression in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to develop interventions to reduce anxiety by providing correct information and alleviating the stress of social distancing.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1475-1487
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to understand the experience of nurses working in public health centers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify its essence. The subjects who had worked for more than one year during the period of COVID-19 pandemic in three county health centers in C province were selected as research participants and analyzed according to the phenomenological method proposed by Colaizzi. As a result of the study, three themes were derived: Negative feelings about COVID-19, A firm sense of professional calling, Leading the way in preparing a system to respond to new infectious diseases. Based on this, it was confirmed that it is necessary to strengthen psychological problem support for nurses, improve biased work, support professional manpower, support systematic education, and prepare appropriate compensation system. Therefore, based on the results of this study, active discussions should be made with various interests in order to establish a support system for nurses who are major personnel in the health care system and to prepare an effective infectious disease response strategy.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.328-339
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the mental health status of Korean adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and to verify the predictors and mediating effects of avoidance coping on the relationship between the intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety and the intolerance of uncertainty and depression. Methods: An online survey was completed by 191 Korean adults from 19 to 64 years old. Using the IBM SPSS Win 19.0 program, the data were analyzed through the frequency, mean, t-test or analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation coefficient, linear regression analysis and Sobel test. Results: Of the survey respondents 21.5%, and 33.5% respectively were classified into anxiety and depression risk groups. The predictors of anxiety were intolerance of uncertainty (β=.52), avoidance coping (β=.21), and response efficacy (β=-.15). Those variables explained 47.7% of the respondents' anxiety. The predictors of depression were intolerance of uncertainty (β=.40), avoidance coping (β=.20), and response-efficacy (β=-.12). These variables explained 34.9% of the participants' depression. Among the predictors of anxiety and depression, avoidance coping was the significant mediating variable. Conclusion: The predictors of anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic were revealed to be intolerance of uncertainty, avoidance coping, and response-efficacy. These results indicate the necessity of providing the cognitive interventions and reducing the use of avoidance coping strategies on a personal level. Community-level efforts, including early detection and health communication strategies, should prioritize risk groups for example young adults. The study suggests it will be necessary to provide sufficient information, psychological support and economic policy alternatives related to the COVID-19 pandemic on the national level.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.165-172
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• 2022

In December 2019, the world faced a crisis in the international economy due to the coronavirus pandemic. Korea has made efforts to stimulate the economy in various ways, including basic income support for all citizens and income support for small business owners. The purpose of this study is to examine how prolonged COVID-19 affects the family, the basic unit of society, and each family member. The family conflicts and crisis solutions due to COVID-19 are as follows. It is to have intensive support for the family, program support for strengthening bonds between household members, and recognition of equal values.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.108-119
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• 2024

Objectives: Abrupt changes in air pollution levels associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak present a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of air pollution on influenza risk, at a time when emission sources were less active and personal hygiene practices were more rigorous. Methods: This time-series study examined the relationship between influenza cases (n=22 874) and air pollutant concentrations from 2018 to 2021, comparing the timeframes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in and around Thailand's Khon Kaen province. Poisson generalized additive modeling was employed to estimate the relative risk of hospitalization for influenza associated with air pollutant levels. Results: Before the COVID-19 outbreak, both the average daily number of influenza hospitalizations and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 ㎛ or less (PM_2.5) concentration exceeded those later observed during the pandemic (p<0.001). In single-pollutant models, a 10 ㎍/m³ increase in PM_2.5 before COVID-19 was significantly associated with increased influenza risk upon exposure to cumulative-day lags, specifically lags 0-5 and 0-6 (p<0.01). After adjustment for co-pollutants, PM_2.5 demonstrated the strongest effects at lags 0 and 4, with elevated risk found across all cumulative-day lags (0-1, 0-2, 0-3, 0-4, 0-5, and 0-6) and significantly greater risk in the winter and summer at lag 0-5 (p<0.01). However, the PM_2.5 level was not significantly associated with influenza risk during the COVID-19 outbreak. Conclusions: Lockdown measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic could mitigate the risk of PM_2.5-induced influenza. Effective regulatory actions in the context of COVID-19 may decrease PM_2.5 emissions and improve hygiene practices, thereby reducing influenza hospitalizations.

• Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.30-44
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• 2022

This research aims to identify and reveal the meaning of memes about COVID-19, and explain changes in meme content in regard to the information development of COVID-19 in Indonesia published by the mass media and online media. The data is sourced from memes that are shared on social media, especially WhatsApp groups in the period of January to June 2020. To reveal the meaning of memes, a semiotic analysis of Roland Barthes' model is used. Qualitative analysis is used to reveal the relationship between memes and the information development of COVID-19 in Indonesia. The results of the study show that meme content has shifted according to three stages of information development of COVID-19 in Indonesia published by the mass media and online media. When COVID-19 was not yet confirmed in Indonesia, meme content contained mostly humor that was not educative, moreover it seemed to underestimate the coronavirus. Meme content which is mostly humorous and pornographic occurred when COVID-19 was confirmed in Indonesia and during the lockdown policy. At last, as the government has begun to distribute social assistance, the meme content looks more critical. The results of this research emphasize the urgency of the mass media as a source of public information during the COVID-19 pandemic, become a reference for the community in making memes as a forum for expressing feelings and social criticism, and serve as a reference for the government to act and make the right decisions related to the pandemic that is endemic in their country.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.137-152
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in serving frequency of elementary school meal before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Number of menus provided in June and July of 2019 and 2020 were compared for 300 elementary schools in Korea. As a result, the serving frequency of la carte and dessert was increased after COVID-19. In addition, frequencies of main dishes such as pork cutlet, chicken, sweet and sour pork, hamburger steak, and so on using processed food were increased after COVID-19. Because of the longer serving time due to staggered serving, cook's working time for serving meals became longer. Therefore, it was judged that the number of servings of processed food was increased rather than the menu with a large amount of preprocessing work. Moreover, among desserts, fruits showed increased serving frequency. Serving frequencies for juice and dairy products were also increased. However, increased servings of juice and dairy products could increase sugar intake. Thus, a careful plan for menu composition is needed to provide balanced nutrients to students under emergency situations such as an infectious disease.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.77-93
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• 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant social changes through government prevention and control measures, changes in people's risk perceptions, and lifestyle changes. In response, urban inhabitants changed their behaviors significantly, including their preferences for transportation modes and urban spaces in response to government quarantine policies and concerns over the potential risk of infection in urban spaces. These changes may have long-lasting effects on urban spaces beyond the COVID-19 pandemic or they may evolve and develop new forms. Therefore, this study aims to explore the potential for urban spaces to adapt to the present and future pandemics by examining changes in urban residents' preferences in travel modes and urban space use due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study found that overall preferences for travel modes and urban spaces significantly differ between the pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods. During the pandemic, preferences for travel modes and urban spaces has decreased, except for privately owned vehicles and green spaces, which are perceived to be safe from transmission, show more favorable than others. Post-pandemic preferences for travel modes and urban spaces are less favorable than pre-pandemic with urban spaces being five times less favorable than transportation. Although green spaces and medical facilities that were positively perceived during the pandemic are expected to return to the pre-pandemic preference level, other factors of urban spaces are facing a new-normal. The findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on urban residents' preferences for travel modes and urban space use. Understanding these changes is crucial for developing strategies to adapt to present and future pandemics and improve urban resilience.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.679-689
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• 2021

The objective of this study is to verify the moderated mediating effects according to the severity level of a disability as well as the mediating effects of job security in the relationship between difficulties in the workplace of the disabled wage workers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and their life satisfaction. As a result of analysis using SPSS ver. 25 and PROCESS macro, the difficulties within the workplace caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative influence on life satisfaction through the job security of the disabled wage worker. In other words, it was revealed that the level of difficulties being faced by the disabled wage workers, which were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, hinders their life satisfaction through job security. In addition, no moderating effect according to the severity level of disability was identified in the relationship between these variables. This is translated that difficulties in the workplace caused by the COVID-19 pandemic reduce job security and life satisfaction of the disabled wage workers regardless of the severity level of the disability. Based on the results thus far, this study further discussed the institutional implications for promoting the job security and life satisfaction of the disabled wage workers under the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.326-334
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• 2022

This study aimed to explore science teachers' perceptions of obstacles that have affected their teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample comprised 204 science teachers in public schools within a Western district of Saudi Arabia. Results revealed that these teachers experienced obstacles across six areas: administration, students, teaching methods, assessment, technology, and learning aids. The study also explored teachers' perceptions of their current experience and offers suggestions for dealing with the identified obstacles.